


Happy Together

by wesawbears



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 04:59:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12976473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wesawbears/pseuds/wesawbears
Summary: Just in time for Christmas, Nicky and Erik's family grows unexpectedly.





	Happy Together

Despite his success (should he call it success?) with taking care of his twins, Nicky had some hesitations about having kids. Luckily, Erik has the patience of a saint and has a counter for every argument Nicky throws at him.

“I’m too irresponsible for a kid.”

“Andrew and Aaron both graduated high school and college.”

“Yeah...but they didn’t need like baby stuff.”

“Like being fed, given attention and a roof over their head?”

“...”

“Besides, you wouldn’t be doing this alone.”

Nicky tries to make a joke, but it dies on his tongue. Instead, because this is Erik, he says, “I know how bad my parents screwed me up. I don’t want to do that to some poor kid.”

Erik takes him in his arms and presses a soft kiss to his cheek. “You are nothing like your parents, Nicky. I have no idea how they made someone as good as you.”

After that conversation, they still take no official steps to have a child, but the thought is planted. After years apart, they’re re-learning each other and Nicky is starting to feel like the hard part is over. Not to say things are perfect, but he feels good.

Which is probably why life sees fit to throw him a curveball in the form of a kid in the street outside of Erik’s office. He’s just finished meeting him for lunch when he sees a small skitter out of the corner of his eye.

“Hello?”

He hears footsteps and because Nicky has never left well enough alone in his life, he turns down the alley. He sees a kid leaning against the wall with a hoodie that hangs off his bony fame, hands shoved in his pockets. It’s almost Christmas and Nicky feels abruptly guilty for the big coat and gloves he’s wearing. He gets a flash of a memory of 13 year old Aaron at a family reunion, looking afraid and sullen, stealing food in napkins from the table.

“Hey kid,” he starts, “What are you doing out here?”

The kid’s gaze darts around him, looking for an exit and it reminds him of Neil so much his heart hurts. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Nicky continues.

The kid scoffs, but he’s still shaking, from the cold or nerves. “How do you know I won’t try to rob you?”

“You can try it if you want. But I have a feeling you don’t want to.”

The kids silence tells him all he needs to know and he smiles softly. “I’m Nicky.”

“Felix,” the kid says at last. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Felix. How long have you been out here?” He used to have tact, but Andrew rubs off on you after a while.

Felix shrugs. “Few weeks.”

“It’s pretty cold...do you have somewhere to sleep?”

He shakes his head and Nicky can’t stop himself when he says, “I have a guest room open if you want it. I won’t even talk to you if you don’t want. I just would feel better if I knew you had a roof over your head.” The silence stretches between them and he adds, “Christmas spirit and all that.”

He starts to walk away, but feels more than hears a presence at his back. He gets home and leaves some food out before showing Felix the guest room. He gives him some space and immediately texts Erik, “Don’t be mad.”

The response is three question marks and he steps outside to call him. He explains and can practically see Erik rubbing his hand over his face, but then he sighs and says, “And this is really important to you?”

Nicky’s voice trembles as he says, “He’s all alone, Erik.”

The conversation is over after that and Felix mostly stays in the guest room for the night, only coming out to get more food. It doesn’t bother Nicky; he’s an expert at thankless jobs. In the morning, Felix is gone.

The next night, though, there’s a knock at the door as it’s getting dark and Felix is there, hands shoved in his pockets and an unspoken question on his face. Nicky opens the door wider and night, he stays all the way to breakfast. 

This repeats for the next two weeks, until Felix is a regular at the dinner table and a fixture in their house. Nicky barely notices a change until his monthly Skype session with Andrew and Neil. Andrew, ever observant, says, “The door to the guest room’s open.”

“Oh, yeah, Felix must have left it open.” At their silence, he continues, “This kid who’s been staying here.”

Andrew leans back in his chair. “Can’t resist picking up strays?”

Nicky plays it off, but at the end of the call, Andrew says, “Well, you kept me and Aaron alive despite our best efforts, so you can’t be that bad of a dad.”

He crawls into bed with Erik after and says, “I want to adopt him.” Erik just nods and kisses his forehead. Nicky turns to face him. “Just like that?”

“I mean, it’s up to him in the end. But you’re gonna be a great dad.”

He buries his face in Erik’s chest and doesn’t try to hide his tears.

Erik talks to friends of his who do family law and they look into the paperwork quietly. It’s kind of a frenzy to get it done in time, but the bulk of it is done by Christmas and Nicky nervously collates it into a bundle wrapped up in a ribbon.

They’re gathered around the tree, their little makeshift family (Nicky’s never known another kind), and his hands shake as he gives Felix the wrapped bundle, an addition to his new winter coat, sweaters, and book about video games. He unwraps it and looks at it for a long moment.

Nicky can’t bear the silence, so he says, “We shouldn’t have sprung this on you, I’m sorry-” but he’s interrupted by Felix launching himself at Nicky to pull him into a hug. 

“You want me to stay?”

Erik laughs and ruffles his hair. “Yeah, kid. Prepare for double the dad jokes.”

Felix beams and Nicky’s heart feels whole in a way it hasn’t in a long time.


End file.
